


Different This Year

by Miss_TC_Nova



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff, Sledding, hearts for the holidays, kh holiday zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:41:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29190198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_TC_Nova/pseuds/Miss_TC_Nova
Summary: Brain's Chirithy (Chi-Chi) gets roped into the Dandelions' sledding shenanigans and bonds with his key kid.
Relationships: Brain & Chirithy (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 7





	Different This Year

**Author's Note:**

> This is my piece for the 2020 Hearts for the Holidays zine (KH Holiday Zine).

Perched atop slippery shingles sits a silver spirit watching over the gaggle of youth enjoying a rare moment of peace—well, almost peace. No blissful silence is had with all their hoots and hollers; there _is_ calm in Daybreak Town, but by no means are the Union leaders taking it easy. 

Today’s almost as sunny as a summer day but, unlike the warm season, it’s frigid outside. The days before brought clouds and the clouds brought the signature of winter: snow. It’s finally let up enough to allow wielders to awe at the beauty. Heaps and heaps of glittering powder blankets the world, hiding away the impurities of the town under the veil of a winter wonderland. Everyone is out and about enjoying this chilly setting: shopping, meeting up with friends, and getting into all sorts of shenanigans in the snowfall. The eager leaders are participating in that last one.

Ephemer, Skuld, Ven, Brain, and Lauriam had ventured out of the clock tower, dragging a random assortment of objects behind them. Only after following their key bearer did this hat-wearing Chirithy discover that the troop was going sledding. It’s not that Chirithy didn’t know what sledding was, but this is the first time Brain has had any friends to go with. 

So now, the dream eater watches on as the youthful humans run up the slope and fly back down, hopefully without crashing into each other—though that one run where Skuld mowed down Ventus was pretty funny. Most importantly, Brain is smiling and genuinely enjoying himself. 

Apprehension leaps into the feline’s chest when Lauriam points right at them, revealing their presence to their wielder. The Chirithy wasn’t exactly hiding, but they weren’t expecting to be called out either.

Brain waves a hand over his head. “Hey Chi-chi!” A second gesture beckons the spirit to join him.

The thing about Brain is that he only recently began to treat his guide as an ally rather than a possession. Being chosen as a Union leader has so far proven a great benefit for the young man in teaching him about friendship. This new desire to buddy-up to Chirithy has flustered his little prickly pal though. 

Nervous, Chi-chi poofs, appearing beside the key bearer in another cloud.

“What’s with all the spying, partner?”

“I wasn’t spying,” the cat protests. 

That smirk makes the spirit suspicious. “Sure sure. If you wanted to join, all you had to do was ask.”

“Join?”

“Yep.” A few steps away, the man plops down into a plastic toboggan and extends an arm to his companion. “Let’s go.”

Little arms fold with a huff. “No.”

“Don’t be a stick in the mud, Chi-chi. Come on.” There’s hesitation and this time, Brain is almost chastising when he calls, “Chi-chi.”

“Alright! Fine!” The grump of a feline totters towards the wielder. Before they can sit down, their hat suddenly goes missing. “Hey!”

Lauriam smiles down at them. “You don’t want it getting run over and ruined, do you?”

Reluctantly, Chi-chi lets it go and carefully climbs into the sled.

With a clear smile in his voice, Brain asks, “Ready?”

From the rooftops, this hill doesn’t seem all that significant. However, from the top of the hill, sitting in a flimsy piece of plastic, as a very short creature, this is starting to seem like a bad idea.

“Not really,” comes the timid answer. 

“Don’t worry, buddy. I’ve got ya.”

Each lurch forward has little paws clinging tighter and tighter to the legs on either side of them. The tiny heart thumping in their chest might just burst.

“W-Wait!”

And then the sled reaches the point of no return. 

Wind whips at the riders as the snowy terrain flies by. Every bump brings with it the fear of crashing which is only exaggerated by the feeling that this ride will never end. A scream follows them all the way to the bottom, even after the sled creaks to a stop in the snow. 

“Chi-chi. Chi-chi stop screaming. It’s over.” Jaws snap close and Brain laughs. “See, it wasn’t that bad.”

Getting over the adrenaline rush, Chi-chi peers up at the young man. Granite eyes gleam like the snow in the sunlight while he wears that smile just for his little guide. They had never celebrated anything before, but if Chi-chi had one wish, this was it: enjoying time with Brain. Folded ears suddenly find it easy to fight off the cold as warm euphoria spreads through the little creature. 

“Can we go again?”

“Haha, you sure?” They give an enthusiastic nod. “Alright, but we gotta get back to the top of the hill,” he says, using his glove to ruffle some fur.

On their trek back up, they hear a cheer.

“WAAAAAHOOOOOOOO!”

Speeding down the hill is Ventus, his own spirit flailing their arms in excitement. Brain and Chi-chi wave as they pass and pause to watch their race to the bottom. 

Brain treats his buddy to another couple rides in the toboggan but by the fourth go, he needs a break from hiking uphill. Chi-chi resorted to popping back up at the top after their second trip, so they can’t really blame the wielder for catching a breather. Still, just standing beside their human and watching the others, especially the other Chirithy, enjoy themselves makes them self-conscious. 

“Hey.” They glance over to see a Chirithy with a crown of leafy holly berries, Lauriam’s Chirithy. 

“Uh, hi,” is the uncertain reply. 

“Do you wanna build a snowman with me?” they ask sweetly. 

Chi-chi isn’t exactly sure how to respond, but comes off a bit snippier than intended. “No.” In a scramble to backtrack the rude response, they tack on, “I…I don’t know how to build a snowman.”

This flowery Chirithy gives a giggle. “That’s okay. I’ll show you.”

Without waiting for an answer, Lauriam’s Chirithy takes Chi-chi by the paw, and pulls them away. The captive glances back at Brain who’s in the middle of a conversation with Lauriam. Surely he’ll come get Chi-chi when he’s ready for another run so there should be no harm in learning to build a snowman. 

The two wander just a little away and, as the flower cat is showing Chi-chi where to start, another pair of Chirithy—belonging to Skuld and Ephemer—approach to join in on the project. So the four felines get to working on what ends up being snow Chirithy and Chi-chi, even while simply mimicking what the others are doing, is actually enjoying themself. 

Flower Chirithy waddles closer, placing their sphere on top of Chi-chi’s just as the Chirithy with star earrings pushes their snowball closer. 

“I like your crown,” they say to Flower Chirithy. 

“Thank you. I love making them with flowers, but Lauriam and I make these ones every year with his sister.”

“Really? Skuld and I like to make smores in the fireplace when it gets cold out.”

The second-tier orb settles on the other base while Scarf Chirithy peeks around. “Me and Ephemer usually build a blanket fort and drink hot chocolate.”

Flower Chirithy looks to Chi-chi. “Do you and Brain have any traditions?”

Shrinking internally, the cat in question lets their gaze drop to the blank snowman that suddenly feels like kin. “No. We’ve never celebrated anything together.”

The trio just stares for a moment. 

“Never?”

The scarf Chirithy prods where they probably shouldn’t. “Why not?”

Bitter cold sinks in just how different Chi-chi’s relationship with Brain is compared to others. The answer comes out barely above a whisper, “Because we aren’t friends.”

Before Chi-chi can soak in the reality that the only person who should be their friend isn’t, Star Chirithy bluntly declares, “Well that’s just not true.” Chi-chi looks to them with no valid response. “You two looked like you were having so much fun.”

“That’s right!” adds Flower Chirithy. “Brain was talking about leaving just before you got here.” 

“Really?” Brain seemed like he was having plenty of fun before he called Chi-chi out for spying. 

The hopeful, floral Chirithy nods. “Yeah. He was telling Lauriam he was gonna head back to the tower until we told him you were watching.” They rest a paw on Chi-chi’s arm. “He stayed for you.”

“You really think so?” they say, almost daring to not let themself hope. 

“Absolutely! Even if you weren’t friends to start with, you’re definitely friends now. And it’s never too late to start traditions with friends.”

There’s hardly any time to process the information when a voice calls out. “Chi-chi!” Brain is waving the cat closer. “You ready to go again?”

Elated, spurred by the information the others had given them, the Chirithy runs to him. “Yes!”

“Looks like we’ll have to wait for the toboggan unless you want to try a different one.”

They glance around, spotting the large, black object. Climbing into the center of the giant donut full of air, Chi-chi asks, “What’s this one?”

“That’s an inner tube. Is that the one you wanna try next?”

“If you’ll go with me.”

“Of course, I will.”

“Count us in.” The pair look back to find Ephemer and his companion coming closer. 

“Even better,” agrees Brain. The two humans lay across the opening in the center, holding onto their respective dream eaters. “Yo, Lauriam, give us a push.”

Blue eyes roll but he stalks closer. “Everyone ready?” 

They all confirm and the tube inches closer to the “point of no return” but not quite straight forward, instead going down at an angle. 

Again, adrenaline rises and cheers fill the air. The inner tube provides a smoother ride but with little control, spinning the riders as they go—it’s a new twist on the fun. That proves true until they get about halfway down the slope. 

“Uh oh!” Ephemer shouts.

Brain exclaims, “Oh crap!”

Oh crap indeed. At the bottom of the hill, Ven and his Chirithy have been piling snow. Well, now the speeding donut is heading straight for that mound.

“VEEEEEEEN!” everyone yells.

There’s just enough time for the young blonde to snatch up Chirithy and dive out of the way before the tube hits the jump. All four passengers are sent airborne. For a solid second, there is no up or down and there’s certainly no inner tube. In the next second though, there is definitely a down for Chi-chi lands upside down in the snowdrift. 

Shock reins for a moment until a hand pulls Chi-chi out of the bank by the back of their cape. 

“You alright, partner?” Brain asks in concern. 

The Chirithy stares at the keyblade wielder who stares back, both ridiculously disheveled and coated in frost. Then, unprompted, the two begin to laugh. Pretty soon, all four toppled riders are laughing, half-buried in powder. Disaster or not, this is the most fun Chi-chi has ever had and it’s made all the better sharing it with Brain. 

“Are you guys okay?!” Ventus hollers, rushing towards them. He too hits the snow when a snowball explodes in his face. 

“Oi! You! What do you think you’re doing building a ramp?!” Brain scolds, digging his way free. 

Ven pops back up. “That was for me to use the snowboard on! That’s why I built it over here!”

Everyone falls silent. In the distance, as in the top of the hill, a cackling can be heard. 

“LAURIAM!” the boys shout.

Back up the hill they climb where they spot the mischief maker. The instant he lays eyes on his victims, he nearly doubles over laughing, relying on a sheepish Skuld to remain standing. 

“Alright, you jerk!” Brain hurls a handful of snow at his friend where it splatters across the guy’s back. The other boys join in chucking snowballs at the offender.

Eventually the antics settle down and more trips up and down the hill are taken. Time spent with their friends and Chirithy is well enjoyed by the leaders, but one by one, they stop going down the slope. Finally, the last to call it quits is Ven. 

“You made it!” his Chirithy cheers at the top.

“Give me a break,” he pants, dropping the snowboard. “Not all of us can poof to the top.” 

Skuld calls out, “You finally worn out yet?”

“Yeah. I think I’m done.”

Lauriam adds, “It’s about time. It’s getting cold.”

Ephemer chuckles. “Let’s head back. I’m pretty sure we have hot chocolate back at the tower.”

His Chirithy bounces beside him. “Can we build a fort?!”

The boy laughs while Skuld’s Chirithy tugs at her sleeve. “And smores?”

“We’ll have to see what we have in the kitchen,” she answers happily. 

The gang collects their belongings and starts the journey back to the clock tower, but Chi-chi pauses with some uncertainties. This feels like another moment not to intrude on. 

Brain looks back. “What are you doin’, Chi-chi? Let’s go before you catch a cold.”

This time of the year has always proven important to the key kids because of the holidays and, depending on their relationship with their wielder, many Chirithy get to celebrate too. Chi-chi was not one of that privileged group. Brain barely celebrated anything on his own and his Chirithy was unimportant to him until recently. But this year was looking to be different—for both of them. 

Absolute joy fills their chest to the point they could just pop—but that would be out of character. Even if the man can see right through the façade, Chi-chi is not about to let on just how giddy they are.

With a huff, Chi-chi toddles after him. “I don’t think Chirithy can get colds,” they say matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, yeah,” Brain laughs, dropping a familiar hat over the dream eater’s ears. “Whatever you say, partner.”


End file.
